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At a glance

Basecamp Kuikka is ideally located on the shore of a lake offering fantastic food and facilities

Travel by private minibus and canoe

No previous experience required

Amazing wildlife in a stunning setting with highly experienced guides

As if impatient from the tortuously cold winter months, far Eastern Finland emerges from hibernation in full bloom with its wildlife keen to redress the balance. Delve into the wilderness to unravel and illuminate some of its remarkable wildlife: bears, beavers, wolves and wolverines.

Itinerary

Show detailed itinerary

1Day 1Start Basecamp Kuikka.

Start Basecamp Kuikka. When the flight inclusive clients arrive there will be a late dinner and a slideshow about the local flora and fauna.

2Day 23 hour guided hike in the surrounding wilderness; early evening transfer to bear hide for the night.

After breakfast we head out into the Finnish wilderness for a 3 hour guided hike to discover the habitat surrounding Basecamp Kuikka. This hike is taken at a slow pace to allow time to soak in the surroundings and take photos along the way. In the afternoon we will transfer to one of the many hides in the area. As the hides can only take a limited number of people the group may be split up into smaller groups. The rules are quite strict when in the huts; no mosquito repellant, perfumes, smoking, noisy wrapping paper and cameras that flash or go 'beep'. This may seem excessive, however the number one priority when in this area is to not disturb the bears. After all, you are a guest in their home. During your stay at the bear hide you will be provided with sandwiches, fruit and refreshments to keep you going through the night. At this time of year there is between twelve and sixteen hours of direct sunlight and two or four hours of twighlight, so remember to bring a good camera as this site offers excellent photographic opportunities. With everything set up to view the large predators that live in the area, all that is left is a little bit of luck.See more images and videos

3Day 3Morning to relax after night of observation; free day; option to return to hide for the night.

In the morning we transfer back to Basecamp Kuikka where those who stayed glued to their cameras all night will be able to get their head down onto a pillow and catch up with some sleep. In the afternoon there is the option to use the camp boat or canoe to explore the lake that the camp in based next to. For those who wish to have another night observing the wildlife from the hides, there will be the option of returning again in the late afternoon.

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Adult Group

This is a small group adult holiday. The group is usually between 4 and 16 in size, with an average of 12 like-minded clients booking individually, in a couple or as friends together.

Activity level

You are healthy, enjoy the outdoors and want a relaxing trip. No experience is required.

What's included

What's included

All breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners

All accommodation

London flights (if booking incl. flights)

Airport transfers

What's not included

Travel insurance

Single accommodation - GBP90

Accommodation details

Basecamp Kuikka

Basecamp Kuikka is a run by wildlife photographer Lassi Rautiainen and his family, who are extremely knowledgeable about the residents who live in the surrounding wilderness. Located on the shores of Lake Kuikka, this former forest worker's residence close to the Russian border is a traditional Finnish rural log house. Although basic, the inside is cosy with clean running water, internet connection and satellite television. The Rautiainen family make it an extremely welcoming atmosphere and often hold evening lectures in the dining room about the wildlife of the area. Basecamp Kuikka has 8 dormitory style rooms with bunk beds fitting up to 2-8 people in each room. Toilet facilities are communal, as are the shower facilities. As this is Finland, of course the accommodation wouldn't be complete without the traditional sauna and optional smoke sauna (which takes 6 hours to heat).

Essential info

Vaccinations and Visa
No visa required for UK passport holders visiting Finland.
There are no specific health risks. Holiday style

This trip has been graded as grade 1 (leisurely). Leisurely grade trips are designed for people who are in good health, enjoy the outdoors and want a relaxing trip packed with interest.
As the location of this trip is not far from the Arctic circle, daylight hours are longer than that of the UK and can range from between twelve to sixteen hours of direct sunlight and two to four hours of twilight. When out in the sun care should be taken to drink plenty of water and protect yourelf, especially when out in the canoe as the suns intensity can be amplified by reflections off the lake.
The hotel that we use on this trip is of a high standard. Please note that the facilities in the bear hide are more basic with dry toilets and no showers (please see accomodation section for further details) as they are designed in such a way as to not interfere with the wildlife.

Eating & drinking

In the itinerary we state which meals are included on which day.
All breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners are included. For the night in the bear hide you will be provided with tea and sandwiches. If you are a vegetarian please info rm our sales team at the time of booking.

Trip notes

Download the detailed trip notes for everything you could possibly want to know about this trip, including
detailed itinerary and full kit list

Weather & seasonality

Summer in Finland sees the mean daily temperature constantly above 10degC. Summer usually begins in late May in southern Finland and lasts until mid-September.The highest summer temperatures in the Finnish interior are from 32 to 35degC.

Gallery

Reviews & community

A thoroughly enjoyable short getaway to a beautiful and peaceful destination. There were four different hide locations in and around the no-mans land area on the Russian border - a truley unique and magical setting. Seeing such majestic bears and wolves up close at sunset left all of us mesmerised and certainly made the long nights worthwhile. It was only a matter of a few hours before the first sighting and there was space for a nap in your sleeping bag during the hours when there wasn't any sunlight. The food at the base camp was hearty (lots of meatballs!) and really delicious.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Seeing a bear for the first time. I had gone with the hope of experiencing just one sighting, yet after the first night in the hide the trip had already surpassed my expectations as i saw 12 sightings of 4 different bears plus a fleeting glimpse of 2 wolves. No wolverines unfortunately! Swimming in the lake after enjoying a few beers in the smoke sauna - a wonderfully refreshing feeling that is hard to re-create any other way.

What did you think of your group leader?

Sami and his family were very friendly hosts at their comfortable and homely base camp in the woods, they worked all hours and went out of the way to take me fishing and make sure that the saunas were ready when you wanted them. Antii took us walking out in the woods and was also great company - all the staff spoke English really well.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Take some warm clothes for the nights in the hide - they are insulated but quite basic as you would expect for small hides. You make yourself a packed lunch before setting off in the evening and the base camp provides you with thermos flasks to fill up so no need to pack one of these. They can also rent out equipment such as camera clamps should you need them. People should be aware that the best opportunity for washing whilst at the base camp is the Finnish way i.e. a suana (they have both regular and smoke saunas) followed by a dip in the fresh water lake (so clean that you can drink it). There are showers on site but you don't get total privacy. If you want to rent a canoe or go fishing then it is best to arrange this in advance through Exodus.

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